Twin Creeks Reserve – a short but interesting loop walk

This was an unintended and unexpectedly pleasant bushwalk… it’s the first time I’ve visited Twin Creeks Reserve in Turramurra, in Sydney’s north, and I hadn’t planned to do more than check out one trail. I’m starting from Rothwell Road, although there are a few potential starting points for this loop walk. The sight of an echidna snuffling along the footpath near the start of the walk is good omen!

The trail from Rothwell Road follows Water Dragon Creek, though tall forest. The back of a few houses are visible for a the first hundred metres or so, before the firetrail leaves the signs of civilisation behind.

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I make a short detour to look at a cave which has Aboriginal art, including a number of hand stencils (Twin Creeks Reserve SWA). Although (like many of the sites in Ku-ring-gai) it has some graffiti, I’m still amazed how much Aboriginal art sites remains hidden around the bush.

I continue along the firetrail, which follows Water Dragon Creek and gets gradually narrower. This creek was renamed in late 2020 by Ku-ring-gail Council in recognition of the colony of Eastern Water Dragons that live in and along the waterway. My map shows the trail ending after about 800m from Rothwell Road, but it continues, always a short distance above the creek. I’m interested in where the trail goes, so I follow it to where it meets the end of Gipps Close.

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I’ve seen another (also unmarked) track that branches off the firetrail, so I’m keen to see where this goes… it descends, soon crossing the delightful Water Dragon Creek.

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The track then ascends the valley on the opposite side of the creek. Although I’ve no idea where I’m going and this track is also not on any of my maps, it’s an obvious trail with yellow blazings on the the trees.

The trail eventually reaches the top of the ridge, emerging at Howson Oval. So I now know where I am. Rather than returning the same way, I’ve got a few options for completing a loop walk though the Twin Creeks Reserve.

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I take the signposted firetrail which heads east along the ridge. There are now a few people around; the attraction of unmarked and unmapped trails is they are a lot less busy!

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After 200m along the firetrail, I reach a junction. I can continue along the firetrail, which is the easy option as it basically follows the ridge. A second (unmarked) trail also follows the ridge parallel to the firetrail, but is a nicer option as it’s a bushwalking track. And a third (unmarked) trail descends from the ridge to Peppermint Creek. I’m keen to have a look at Peppermint Creek, so I head down this third track. Like Water Dragon Creek, this creek also renamed in 2020 after the Peppermint Gums which are common along the creek.

It takes me a couple of atttempts: I first follow the wrong track (the second one), before realising my mistake and backtracking. The track down to the creek is very hard to see, and I end up walking a few metres down the slope before I spot what looks ike a trail.

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The trail becomes more obvious as it descends, and at the bottom it reaches another official bushwalking trail which follows Peppermint Creek along the valley – Peppermint Creek being the second creek that gives Twin Creeks Reserve its name.

Although the trail is a short distance below the trail, the sound of a cascade tempts me to take a short off-track detour down to the creek. There is a decent flow of water, and a couple of small but picturesque cascades where the water flows over some rocks.

I continue along trail, which follows the creek… there’s another interesting but very small waterfall where the creek flows under a large boulder. And a Sydney Water sign which explains why there is so much water flowing down the creek!

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Just before the trail reaches Mitchell Crescent, I veer right, up a trail that takes me to the busy Mitchell Crescent Reserve.

From here, the last 400m is on-road to complete the loop (you could avoid this by taking a trail down to Water Dragon Creek from Mitchell Crescent Reserve, which takes you back to the trail along the first creek). Although this walk wasn’t really planned (it’s hard to plan a walk on trails that don’t exist on any map!), it ended up being a very enjoyable loop through Twin Creeks Reserve.

Accessing the Twin Creeks Reserve Loop

There are many places you can access this walk though Twin Creeks Reserve, which is in Turramurra between The Comenarra Parkway and Kissing Point Road.

• Just before the end of Rothwell Road. Park on road. Firetrail is fairly obvious near the bottom of the road
• End of Gibbs Close, off The Comenarra Parkway. Limited parking and track not marked (but it’s fairly obvious)
• Howson Oval at the end of Howson Avenue. Lots of parking, toilet and track signage (note that the track down to Water Dragon Creek is not marked).
• Twin Creeks Reserve Track (Mitchell Crescent Entry) on Mitchell Crescent.

More information on Twin Creeks Reserve Loop

Some of the connecting tracks are not official trails and are not marked, so while the trails themselves are obvious you should have a map (eg. AllTrails or Avenza) so you know where you are!

• Ku-ring-gai Council – Twin Creeks Reserve and Browns Field Track [download PDF]
• Ku-ring-gai Council – map of two creeks [download PDF]